5 Proposal Tips to Win a Government Contract Bid


 

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Federal contracting can be lucrative business — but only if you know how to get it. You may think you know how to create proposals for government RFPs, but are you making amateur mistakes that might unintentionally jeopardize your bidding on government contracts? Follow these five rules and you might see your luck turn around.

  1. Don’t use a template. Government agencies can smell canned proposals from a mile away. Don’t recycle a proposal from one bid to the next — use federal proposal writing software to help you best fill in the proper blanks so that they’re tailored for every opportunity.
  2. Be specific. Don’t just say you’ll solve the problem. Demonstrate how you’ll do it using your unique strengths or technologies, and why you’re the only company that can offer that kind of service.
  3. Don’t estimate too high — or too low. Many agencies will have past projects on file so you can see what kind of budget they might expect. Offer proposal pricing that’s too high, and you’re likely to lose the bid to a more affordable competitor. But run too low, and they might not think you fully understand the complexities of the task at hand.
  4. Understand all the regulations first. If the government bid precludes subcontractors, don’t mention how you’ll use subcontractors in your federal proposal writing software program. Be sure to actually read the RFP front to back to make sure you don’t write in a silly mistake that could get you disqualified.
  5. Anticipate problems and offer solutions. A smooth-running operation without any bumps along the way is a fairy tale. The more you can anticipate any hurdles or potential challenges in executing your own proposal, the more likely you’ll be to show off your management skills and ability to handle whatever might come your way.

Remember that there are 26.5 million businesses in the U.S., and you might be competing against any number of them in order to secure a federal contract agreement. Be smart, be unique, and be prepared. Submit your proposal with the best of your assets upfront to ensure greater success, every time.